Whiting: O.C. climber treks to both poles

Jan. 29, 2013

Updated Aug. 21, 2013 1:17 p.m.

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After struggling with skies during his expedition to the North Pole, John Dahlem finds skiing across some 60 miles in Antarctica easier going. He drags a sled loaded with supplies. COURTESY OF JOHN DAHLEM

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Retired Anaheim high school principal John Dahlem takes a moment during his expedition this month to the South Pole. Temperatures dropped to minus-45 degrees. The mouthpiece helps keep in moisture and warmth. COURTESY OF JOHN DAHLEM

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On the bottom of the world, Army veteran and Bronze Star recipient John Dahlem spreads the Stars and Stripes at the South Pole. COURTESY OF JOHN DAHLEM

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Retired high school principal John Dahlem holds a banner at the North Pole after trekking some 90 miles over ice floes in 2012. COURTESY OF JOHN DAHLEM

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Gaps in ice floes in the Arctic made the going especially difficult during John Dahlem's expedition in 2012 to the North Pole. COURTESY OF JOHN DAHLEM

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John Dahlem (right) and son, Ryan, assistant principal at St. Margaret's upper school, take a moment on top of Mount Everest in May 2010. The moment marked the pair's sixth mountain of the world's Seven Summits. COURTESY OF JOHN DAHLEM

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John Dahlem, right, with son, Ryan, atop Mount McKinley in 2002. McKinley, also called Denali, is the highest mountain in North America at 20,230 feet. COURTESY OF JOHN DAHLEM

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John Dahlem (right), retired Anaheim schools principal, and son, Ryan, assistant principal at the upper school at St. Margaret's, pose for the camera on Mount Elbrus in 2003. Elbrus is the highest mountain in Europe at 18,510 feet. TEXT BY DAVID WHITING, COURTESY OF JOHN DAHLEM

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John Dahlem (right) and son, Ryan, in 2005 stand on the summit of Mount Aconcagua, the highest mountain in South America at 22,841 feet. The father-son team climbed the highest mountains on the world's Seven Summits. TEXT BY DAVID WHITING, COURTESY OF JOHN DAHLEM

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On top of Austrailia's highest mountain, Mount Kosciuszko at 7,310 feet from left: John Dahlem, his wife, Sioux, and their son, Ryan. The moment captures the father-son team's completion of the Seven Summits, the highest mountains on the world's seven continents. COURTESY OF JOHN DAHLEM

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John Dahlem (right), recipient of the Bronze Star for his actions in the Army in Vietnam, celebrates in 2000 with his son, Ryan, making the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest mountain in Africa at 19,320 feet. TEXT BY DAVID WHITING, COURTESY OF JOHN DAHELM

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John Dahlem (right), and son, Ryan, stop in the middle of a storm in 2006 for a photo atop Mount Vinson, the highest mountain in Antarctica at 16,067 feet. COURTESY OF JOHN DAHLEM

After struggling with skies during his expedition to the North Pole, John Dahlem finds skiing across some 60 miles in Antarctica easier going. He drags a sled loaded with supplies. COURTESY OF JOHN DAHLEM

Living in the "yes" opens doors, big doors.

John Dahlem lived in the yes when he volunteered for the Army and was awarded the Bronze Star during the Vietnam War.

He lived in the yes when he earned a doctorate, became a teacher, a decorated high school wrestling coach and served as an Anaheim principal.

And he sure lived in the yes the last decade. After climbing the highest mountains on the world's seven continents, making his way on foot to the North Pole and then this month to the South Pole, Dahlem is now the 31st person in the world and the oldest person to complete what's called the "Explorer's Grand Slam."

The 70-year-old climber's secret to survival? Staying grounded.

• • •

A man more about character than conquering, Dahlem describes his outdoor skills as those of a "rank amateur."

While Dahlem, who climbs Baldy in winter, is hardly an "amateur," his philosophy is critical. It means he trains hard, knows his gear and is careful selecting his outdoor partners. It's called managing risk and is about more than mountains.

Despite tingling fingers, Dahlem is fortunate. One of the members of his team suffered frostbite. It's likely he'll lose several fingers.

Dahlem feels terrible for the guy. But he's seen far worse. He was a company commander in Vietnam during the height of the war when a rocket-propelled grenade hit his patrol boat. I've known Dahlem for more than a decade, and he's never mentioned the Bronze Star or the battle. He just says he was "a regular GI Joe doing his job."

It's not that Dahlem is scarred by war. Like most vets, he simply left the war 10,000 miles away. Despite his seemingly macho-man accomplishments – like many living risk takers – Dahlem is exceptionally humble.

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Dahlem tells me he never set out to complete the Explorer's Grand Slam. In fact, he never set out to climb the Seven Summits.

He simply set a goal, reached it, and then looked for something else. For Dahlem climbing – and this is key – is much like life: "One step at a time."

More than a year after summiting Mount Everest – his best adventure moment was when he stood on the roof of the world with his son – Dahlem got a call from a fellow climber. The man was preparing to make his way from "Last Degree," final latitude, to the North Pole. There was an opening on the team.

"I didn't know diddly about the North Pole." Dahlem confesses. He discovered the freezing wind-whipped region is nothing but moving ice that crashes, breaks apart and leaves gaps of seawater.

Then he learned about the world's largest land carnivore that weighs up to 1,500 pounds: Polar bears.

After consulting with the person he calls "the real hero" of his expeditions for her support – his wife, Sioux – Dahlem said yes to the Arctic.

The plan was to ski to the Pole dragging massive sleds loaded with food, fuel and gear. Dahlem trained relentlessly, hitting the gym, running the beach, dragging a tire up and down Peters Canyon, Saddleback Mountain.

"At my age," he allows, "I have to train twice as hard."

After setting out, Dahlem discovered something else: Crashing floes mean overcoming small but exceptionally jagged hills and worse. Often, the team had to wait until the floe they were on touched the next; other times they had to wait for gaps of sea water to freeze.

Maps show 60 nautical miles from Last Degree to the Pole. But with ice movement, the team was forced to cover an additional 30 miles. "We'd pull 10 miles during the day, then drift back and only make two miles."

Of his ski skills on such rugged terrain, Dahlem laughs, "I'm one of the few guys who's walked to the North Pole."

The danger from polar bears – guides were armed with rifles and pistols – was so great that one day the team had to slog five miles out of their way because they'd spotted paw prints.

Finally, after seven brutal days, Dahlem stood on top of the planet – and in the middle of nothing but the raw beauty of a frozen world. True silence, he reports, was gold.

But his journey wasn't over. As he was preparing to return home to Huntington Beach, a guide mentioned the South Pole.

Dahlem was intrigued, very intrigued.

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As Dahlem stepped off a plane and onto Antarctica's ice in early January, it marked his second trip to the continent. His first trip was seven years ago when he climbed Mount Vinson, the continent's highest mountain at 16,067 feet.

But this time was different. This time was really cold and Dahlem knew cold. He and his son, Ryan, assistant principal at South County's St. Margaret's upper school, climbed Vinson through an ice storm. On Everest, they saw frozen corpses.

For eight days, Dahlem once again pulled a heavy sled. But compared to the North Pole, the ice was relatively smooth. This time Dahlem, managed to drag his sled while skiing.

Still, the going was brutal.

The University of Oregon alum allows, "It was numbing cold. It just eats you up."

After eight days, the team arrived at the South Pole. To celebrate, Dahlem repeated what he did at the North Pole. He walked around the world. In 10 seconds.

Dahlem' philosophy toward adventure is worth exploring. Sure, sometimes it's necessary to plot out a series of goals. But the best adventures lay in saying yes to opportunities as they unfold.

"Its fun to do new things and to try new things," Dahlem explains. "I still look at the world with the same eyes as when I was 15, 16."

Two years ago, I talked to Dahlem and his son about coping after completing a monumental effort – climbing the Seven Summits. They explained they experienced zero post-goal depression. They simply looked forward.

Since then, Ryan has said yes to marriage (OK, he convinced someone else to say yes). And Dahlem's met some amazing people giving talks about perseverance – including his beloved Ducks football team.

Team talks are confidential. But I suspect the players walk onto the field with more than a lesson about perseverance.

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